Stepping Up
by DiamondMolls
Summary: NH - AU - She's a single mother grieving her first love, he's trapped in an unhappy marriage, with a wife he no longer loves. They're both living lives they never intended, and need something, or someone, to make it right.


Title: Stepping Up  
Summary: AU NH..future fic...more will be revealed as we go

Special thanks to Dawn(BabbleBaby) for her help with this and for the idea for the story. I bow down to her brilliant mind for helping me all through this.  
ALso thanks so much to Ashley for beta-ing this for me. I so so appreciate it.

* * *

"No mom, I just want to get Ellie's stuff unpacked first and then I will worry about the rest." Haley James rolled her eyes as her mother continued her rant.

"But Bub its all well and getting her settled but if your kitchen's not unpacked then you can't feed her and you know she is going to get grouchy soon if she doesn't get fed."

"God mom. She knows. Ellie is Haley's baby, not yours and you are going to have to realize that now that they're going to be living on their own."

"Fine." Lydia huffed and settled herself on her granddaughter's cherry wood twin bed, busying herself by putting jumpers and dresses on hangers.

Haley sent a grateful look and mouthed a silent thank you to her big sister and continued to put her daughter's pictures on the wall. She could hear her daughter's playful squeals coming from the living room where she was currently occupied playing with her Papa Jimmy and beating him in a rousing game of Chutes and Ladders. Haley smiled as she glanced down at the picture in her hand. It was a picture of a boy with unruly brown curls, shining brown eyes and deep dimples. The same features that made her daughter so beautiful.

"God she looks like him, doesn't she?" Taylor commented coming up behind Haley and pulling her little sis into her side as they both stood there transfixed with the man in the picture before them. Wiping a stray tear Haley quickly put the picture on the shelf and turned in the direction of her bright eyed three old who was currently tackling her granddad.

"Ellie put on your coat, your Auntie Tay is treating us to dinner at her fancy restaurant." Taylor made a face at her sisters head sighing knowing she couldn't say no to her, and grabbed her still stewing mother from her niece's bed and pulled her to follow her into the living room.

"Mommy do they have Mac and Cheese at Tay Tays restaurant?"

"If they don't I am sure we have the connections that can make that happen." Haley grinned in her sister's direction.

"I think I can help you with that EJ." Taylor grinned as the James family made their way into the early New York evening.

"Eloise Jacqueline Jagielski don't eat with your mouth open."

Haley discreetly rolled her eyes at her mothers meddling and continued to eat her chicken as she absently wiped her daughter's face. The small family was desperately trying to ignore the giant elephant in the room. Lydia and Jimmy James were not entirely comfortable with the idea of the their baby and her baby leaving their quiet town to live in the big city. When their grief stricken daughter had come to them a few years ago to say she was pregnant with her dead boyfriend's baby their lives had been turned upside down. Haley was devastated and a shell of the former person she had been and in no way ready to have a baby. Haley and Jake were high school sweethearts and a perfect couple. He was a soulful musician and she was a quiet bookworm. Lydia had been convinced the day that Jake had come to her house for the first time that the two were soul mates. But when Jake started getting headaches the summer after they graduated high school their happy idyllic world began to come crashing down, and now even three years later her daughter was damaged but determined to finally do it on her own. Lydia had her reservations. For the past three years Haley had lived under her roof and Lydia inadvertently had taken over much of the parenting in order for Haley to study and work to make a better life but she couldn't see how she was going to let her go.

Lydia sighed and looked across the table at her two giggling daughters and equally giddy granddaughter and sent up a prayer that things would be ok.

"So Haley did you see that two women were assaulted three blocks from your new apartment last week and two more were mugged right down from your new fancy office?"

"Daddy put away the paper, I am aware of the risks of living in the big city and trust me I would never do anything to put me or Ellie in harms way."

"I know bub but you are my little girl and Ellie is the light of our lives and we just want you to be safe."

"He's right Haley." Lydia said as she grabbed her youngest daughters hand, "We have helped you every step of the way with Ellie and I am just not sure if you are going to be able to handle her and adjusting to a job and a new city. I just don't see how its possible."

Haley blew out a sigh and tried desperately to hide her forthcoming tears as Taylor gave both of her parents a dead stare.

"Enough, Haley is a grown woman and in case you two have forgotten, when she found she was pregnant the love of her life had just died. Yeah she needed help but I happen to think Haley has a become a hell of a mother, and while I am sure she appreciates your help and how much you love and care for she and Ellie its time for her to spread her wings a bit."

Haley looked at her sister and was so grateful that she had her on her side. They had a few tumbles growing up but Taylor had become an awesome woman and she was so excited that they would be living in the same city.

"Taylor is right, I love you guys and am so grateful for all you have done but I need this. If I stay in Connecticut I will never move on. I want to leave that life behind because if I stay all I will be surrounding myself with is the life Jake and I would have had and that isn't fair to me or Ellie. We need to move on and make a new life and not one where we are taken care of 24/7 by you guys. I have a great new job, a great apartment, and my sister here with me. I am going to be just fine."

Lydia and Jimmy shared a look and knew she was right. She deserved this chance and as much as they would miss her and Ellie they weren't that far away and both knew that their girls needed to move on.

Nathan Scott took a long drink of his Scotch and rolled his head back resting it on the high back chair he was sitting in. He looked over at his two friends engaged in a lively conversation and started laughing once he heard just what was coming out of Damien's mouth.

"So yeah I bought Brooke this new Tiffany necklace and lets just say she got down on her knees to thank me."

Nathan laughed at his friend while his brother Lucas rolled his eyes at his antics. It was always the same conversation. Talking about money and sex. Damien and Nathan had both married their college girlfriends. Damien and Brooke had met freshman year drunk at a basketball party and proceeded to have sex in a closet. She was whore but a whore with a good heart and he knew deep down he loved her even the part of her that demanded money and attention twenty four hours a day. He could handle providing unlimited amounts of the first and tried when he could to deliver on the second. But he made those moments count and their group of friends were regularly given detailed accounts of their activities.

Nathan's marriage on the other hand had started off well. He had met Stephanie their sophomore year and the time she had seemed bright eyed and full of life. She wanted to travel and see the world, and have someday the houseful of children that Nathan so craved. But over time Nathan had realized that it was all a lie. She was saying what he wanted to hear when he wanted to hear it. She was nothing but a lying gold digger. He thought if he stayed things would change and she would be the Stephanie of old, but as the days went by and the intimacy vanished he knew that he was beginning to lose a battle he never could have won.

Lucas was the most blessed out of the three. He had met Lindsay during an internship his senor year of college. She was smart, beautiful, and warm and could have cared less about who he was and what he did. He convinced her to go out one night a few months into their working together, and from then on out they were inseparable. They were married less than a year later and another short year later they were the parents of a baby girl with her little brother following two years after that. They were literally the perfect couple. Totally in love and devoted to one another. Lindsay didn't work but headed a foundation for children who were victims of abuse. There wasn't a trace of gold digger in her and Lucas admired and respected her for staying so true to herself.

The three were partners in a well publicized sports agency that handled the career of nearly all of the professional athletes in New York plus a vast majority of the whole world. The three were dedicated and knew a lot about what they were doing considering all three of them had had various levels of success in sports before giving it all up to represent the ones they used to compete against. Nathan and Lucas had started the company straight out of college and brought their old friend Damien in very shortly there after. The three quickly rose to fame and notoriety and became a force to be reckoned with.. They all lived in the same uptown neighborhood and ran in the same circles. Tonight they were celebrating yet another big coup. They had signed the top college basketball prospect and were representing him in the draft later that summer where they would surely pull in more money in commission than most see in a lifetime. Life was good and they were going to celebrate it .

"So Damien how much did you have to spend to get Brooke on her knees?" Nathan asked, cocking his eyebrow at his friend.

"Lets just say it was a tiny bit less than what we are going to make on the draftee we just signed." Damien laughed and turned to give Nathan a look and decided to put a bit of the heat onto him.

"You know Nate maybe if you spent your entire years income on a gift for Steph she would actually give you some."

Nathan silently seethed as his brother and friend laughed at his lack of a sex life.

"So little brother how long has it been?"

"Almost six months," Nathan ran a quick hand through his hair and groaned. "Hell I should have known she was nothing but a gold digger when she wanted to release a hundred white doves at our wedding. The signs were there but nothing has ever been this drastic before. I mean what married couple doesn't have sex for six months?"

Nathan puffed out a laugh but not one of humor, more like one of utter disbelief.

"Well my wife's a gold digger but she is still naked in our bed every night." Damien announced while finishing off his drink. Smirking at Nathan the whole time.

"Nathan I am sure it will be fine. Have you guys thought about counseling?"

Nathan looked at his brother and could see the genuine concern in his eyes. Lucas had the perfect life but never really allowed himself to stray too far from the role of protective big brother.

"Nate you know Lindsay and I love you and so do Caroline and Charlie but we want you to have a happy life. I am not saying I hate Stephanie but you need to either really put in the effort or find someone that suits you better. I know this life isn't the one you wanted."

Nathan sat back with his refilled drink and started to let his brothers words sink in. He had to admit that Lucas had a point. Nathan knew that do or die time was going to be coming.

Taylor James studied her sisters face as she watched her running after her daughter desperately trying to get her pinned down and in pajamas. Haley was smiling but the smile wasn't reaching her eyes. Taylor knew that the dinner with their parents was doing nothing to brighten Haley's mood. Taylor understood where her parents were coming from but she also knew that her sister and niece needed a life of their own. If Haley never left home she would never get over the memory of Jake. Taylor wanted her sister to move on and find love and a home of her own.

Taylor remembers the day she first met Jake. He was all tall and gangly and always grinning. The way he stared at Haley served as major amusement to Taylor especially considering just how oblivious Haley was to the attention. But soon Jake got the courage up and made his move and Taylor had never seen her sister so happy. She came alive.

Taylor sighs, shaking her head thinking just how sad all of this is.

"Haley why don't you get us some wine and I will try and get Ellie settled with a video?"

Haley looked at her sister with relief in her eyes and deposited Ellie onto her Aunty Tays lap and made quick work in getting the bottle of Chardonnay out of the fridge and into two glasses. She joined her sister and her daughter on the tiny couch she had set up in the corner of her room. Ellie was drifting off and Haley prayed that sleep would come and stay with her.

"Hales, its going to be ok." Taylor grabbed her sisters hand as Haley started to tear up.

"I don't know Tay, I have never been alone like this before and I don't know if I can do it."

"You can, I know it. After Jake died you could have died too but you didn't. You picked yourself up and have raised a gorgeous wonderful little girl. Sure mom and dad helped out but Ellie knows who is number one in her life. Trust me."

Haley wiped the tears from her eyes and threw her arms around Taylor in a thankful hug.

"Thanks Tay, I hope you are right."

"I'm going to leave, you have a big day ahead tomorrow and you need to sleep". Taylor kissed her sister on the head and walked out her front door leaving Haley collapsed on the couch with a sleeping Ellie on her lap.

Nathan Scott closed the door to the town car he was riding in and waved a quick hello to the doorman of his high rise. He stepped into the elevator silently praying that it would be a fast ride to his penthouse apartment. It was late and he just wanted to eat and head to bed.

Opening the door of his apartment Nathan called for Stephanie and wasn't surprised to see that she was gone. He searched the place for any kind of note but knew deep down there wouldn't be one. She never left notes anymore and rarely made it in before midnight. Sighing he went to his room and prepared for another night alone.

Haley had just finished tucking Ellie into bed and went to sit on her small balcony taking in the sights and sounds of her new home and her new start. But instead of excitement she was overtaken with a feeling of longing. Longing for a life she almost had and one she didn't know if she would ever get.

Nathan grabbed a drink before settling on his balcony where the feeling of sadness and despair took hold of him. This wasn't the life he wanted, but he wondered if he could ever escape it.


End file.
